How to choose a coffee machine for home?

Drip, capsule, lever or automatic coffee machine?

Nowadays,it seems that every household has a coffee maker. If you decide it's time for a coffee maker in your home too, or you're looking for an alternative to your current one, chances are you'll get lost in the plethora of coffee makers on offer. There are several types of coffee makers. So let's what to consider when choosing a home coffee maker andwhat are the advantages and disadvantages of a lever, automatic, drip or capsulecoffee maker.

When choosing a home coffee maker...

In order to find the perfect coffee maker, you first need to ask yourself a few essential questions:

How many coffees do you make a day?
What kind of coffee does the machine need to be able to make? Do you only drink coffee without milk, or do you also drink milky coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.
Where do you place the coffee machine in your kitchen? Do you have enough space for it? Does the coffee maker need a water/waste connection?
Do you want a quick and easy to use coffee machine or a coffee machine with more manual settings?
Finally, and quite crucially: how much are you willing to spend on a coffee maker?

A lever coffee machine for home

This type of coffee maker is themost demanding to operate in terms of additional gadgets. In addition to the lever coffee machine itself , you need anespresso grinder, unless you go for a coffee machine with a built-in grinder. And then there's some extra equipment like atamper or a milk jug.

Advantages of a lever coffee machine:

It is capable of producing the best espresso
The ability to regulate the coffee
They look great

Disadvantages of a lever coffee machine:

More complicated to operate the coffee maker
More maintenance of the coffee machine - cleaning of the paths and nozzles
To get the most out of these machines, you need a good coffee grinder

FOR A LEVER COFFEE MACHINE

Will a home lever coffee maker be what you're looking for?

Cheaper home lever coffee machines most often have a vibrating pump. This is because of size and price, as this type of pump is both smaller and cheaper. Rotary pumps then increase the price of the coffee machine, but also increase the quality of the coffee prepared to a professional level. You can find a rotarypump in professional coffee machines but also in some pieces of home coffee machines, in our offer it is included for example in theLelit Biancacoffee machine .

Lever coffee makers require more technical know-how and patience when making coffee. Just want to put a cup under the machine and pick up a cup full of hot coffee in a moment? Then you won't understand lever coffee makers and skip straight to the paragraphs on automatic coffee makers in the reading below.

About making coffee in a lever coffee machine

Preparing coffee in a lever coffee maker needs your time to prepare, your care and a certain level of barista experience. Don't be alarmed, it's not that complicated and everything can be learned. A lever coffee maker will need you to not only prepare a weighed batch of properly ground coffee in the lever, but also to tamp it in with a tamper, insert it into the head of the machine, start, check and finish the extraction.

Through repetition, you'll automate the operation of the coffee machine to the point where it seems perfectly simple. At the same time, you will have the immense advantage of being able to "play" with your coffee and penetrate the secrets of coffee preparation that are hidden from other drinkers, those who just pick up their cup of coffee. With a lever coffee machine, you gain power and control over every espresso.

Lever coffee maker with or without a grinder?

In addition to the coffee maker, you will need other accessories and most importantly a coffee grinder. The grinder must be an "espresso" grinder, that is, one that grinds very finely simply "for espresso" and of course you can adjust the coarseness, in this case rather the fineness of the grind.

How to choose a lever coffee machine

Depending on your particular needs, expectations and skills, there are a range of machines at different price levels. From simple machines without a wide range of extraction settings, to machines that in the right hands are capable of producing the perfect espresso!

If you decide on a lever coffee machine, contact us. We'll make a call and can discuss the options that are best for you as quickly as possible. This topic is really broad. For a hassle-free lever coffee machine purchase including the necessary accessories and tools, we have created a convenient package: a lever coffee machinekit with accessories.

Automatic coffee machine for the home

Automatic coffee machines allow you to make a variety of coffees from freshly ground coffee at the touch of a button, as well as to get a good espresso. The vast majority of automatic machines on the market, and all of ours, have a grinder included in the machine.

In everyday use, it can be much cheaper and greener than other coffee machines. Depending on the model you choose, automatic coffee machines can offer great versatility in preparing drinks: espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, but also tea or hot chocolate.

Advantages of an automatic coffee machine:

Environmentally friendly compared to capsules
The operating costs are half those of a capsule
Possibility to choose your own quality coffee
Customizable settings: temperature, beverage size, number of grams of coffee...

Disadvantages of an automatic coffee machine:

Initial purchase price
Automatic coffee makers do not have as soundproof grinders

FOR AN AUTOMATIC COFFEE MAKER

Automatic coffee machine for lattes and espresso

The most important thing to realize is whether you need to make milk drinks as well. A simple automatic Melitta Solo, for example, comes out to 10 000,-. However, if you are also talking about whipping milk, the prices of such coffee machines increase almost twice as much.

Home automatic espresso machines

A basic automatic coffee machine that grinds its own coffee and prepares usually 1 or 2 espressos at a time. In most, you can control the amount of water in the drink. Some espresso machines have an additional nozzle to heat the water, to add hot water to the drink, for example to make Americano or Lungo.

Milk whisking options in automatic coffee machines

The cheaper variants of these coffee machines offer a nozzle and give you the option to whisk the milk yourself, in a jug. Realistically, though, the nozzle can be used for heating rather than whisking, as these nozzles don't have enough power. If there is a clear tube sticking out of the front of the machine, it is thecappuccinator tube. The coffee maker itself draws in the milk and whips it into the drink.

If you are not a fan of milk drinks, we recommend reaching for an espresso machine. If you also want to prepare milk coffee drinks, keep in mind that themilk paths have to be cleaned. Most coffee machines can automaticallysteam the milk paths after the drink is finished, but occasional hand washing is still needed.

Capsule coffee machine

Capsule coffee machines are not very expensive and are easy to use. Theyare usually simple machines with easy setup. Capsule coffee is not the right espresso by exact standards. Anyway, if you choose a capsule coffee from a quality manufacturer and a suitable capsule coffee machine, you can enjoy a tasty and fragrant cup of capsule coffee at home.

Advantages of a capsule coffee machine:

Very attractive price for the machine
Quick and easy to use
The machines are often compact and do not take up too much space
Almost maintenance-free coffee machines

Disadvantages of a capsule coffee machine:

Need to buy a certain brand of capsules
Limited extraction adjustment options
Plastic capsules are not eco-friendly, 100% aluminum only when recycled contingent on proper waste sorting.

FOR CAPSULE COFFEE MACHINE

Coffee from capsule coffee machine

The extraction ratio is much lower in capsule coffee machines, which means a weaker cup of coffee as a result. It is not as concentrated (strong) as a standard espresso from a coffee shop. In addition, any interference with extraction is almost impossible with capsule coffee machines. The price for convenience of preparation is a loss of quality... But this is not always the case!

The revolution has arrived in the sector of easy-to-use capsule coffee machines. The Morning coffee maker has arrived. It is no stranger to extraction adjustments. It works with a mobile app where you get coffee recipes directly from the roaster and baristas. That's why coffee from the Morning capsule coffee machine really tastes good.

Capsules for the coffee maker

The capsules usually go into the cheaper coffee, and the capsules have been in the shop for a while. With capsule coffee makers, also think about the fact that once you buy one, you are already tied to a certain brand and in the best case, only to a certain capsule shape. However, we've solved the problem of choosing a quality capsule coffee for you.

We also prepare our selection of coffee in capsule form. We do not produce capsules in huge quantities for the giant warehouses of supermarkets. But we do prepare capsules for you, so that you can enjoy great, un-aged coffee even from a capsule. Our capsule coffee is compatible with the most widely used Nespresso machines. However, we recommend the Morning machine with our original recipe for preparation.

And what about the ecology of the capsules for the coffee machine?

Most often on the market you can find plastic or the nowadays more "eco-friendly" aluminium ones. Why the quotation marks, you ask? It's true that aluminium is highly recyclable. It's just that if all capsules were 100% aluminium (classic Nespresso capsules are 80% aluminium, supplemented with plastic), to be truly eco-friendly you'd need to take care of the recycling a bit.

Because recycling starts with the user. The procedure is that the capsule cap must be cut off and the used log is thrown away - perhaps in a flowerpot and the capsule washed with water. This, along with the cap and other clean householdaluminium waste, is then taken to the appropriate collection point. This is either a collection yard or a metal buy-back site.

Well, what about our Spa Coffee capsules? When we first thought of making capsule coffee, we were already aware of the other side of coffee making - the waste or used capsules and what to do with them. That's why we pack the treated ground coffee in compostable capsules made of bioplastic.

Drip coffee machine for home

Filter coffee machines allow you to make coffee from freshly ground beans, thus capturing all the flavours of the coffee. It depends on the right model for you. If you enjoy discovering the flavours in coffee or want to regulate your coffee easily, a filter coffee machine is right for you.

Benefits of a home drip coffee maker:

Ideal for making several cups at the same time
Great tasting coffee
Easy to use and almost no maintenance
You can easily regulate the amount of coffee/caffeine you drink

Disadvantages of a home dripper:

Too "weak" for some people (reminds some people of tea)
Usually you only regulate the coarseness of the coffee

FOR A DRIP COFFEE MAKER

Home Batch Brew Coffee Maker

Home drippers are especially popular with families where a lot of coffee is drunk. This type of coffee maker wins with coffee drinkers who prefer thepure taste of coffee. A cup of "drip" coffee has a stimulating caffeine content that is higher than that of espresso, yet the taste of the drip coffee is mild, not as intensely strong as espresso.

For drip coffee, lighter roast 'filter 'coffees are used and these are generally of the highest quality. With a drip machine you can choose fruit coffees - acidic and sweet coffees without acidity. In addition to the drip coffee machine itself, get a grinder, as good coffee is only made from freshly ground beans.

If you're choosing a drip machine, we recommend looking for SCA certification. A quality dripper, such as the Norwegian company Wilfa or the now iconic Moccamaster, will not overheat the coffee compared to the cheap plastic versions from the supermarket and will use its taste potential to the fullest.

We're not done yet! Other options for home coffee preparation

There are so many ways to make coffee, you just have to choose. You can also try making coffee the alternative way, i.e. hand-brewed filter coffee. But you can also break free from the machines when making espresso!

A manual espresso machine for real espresso

Among the lever coffee machines in our range you will also find theunique manual coffee machine Flair Espresso. With Flair you can prepare coffee almost anywhere. Put it in a case and unpack it at the cottage or on holiday. You're guaranteed great coffee with you at all times.

TheFlair handheld coffee maker does not need an electricity connectionto operate , which can come in handy when travelling. However, it is also an interesting alternative to a home coffee machine. It doesn't take up much space and if you're not in a hurry and enjoy making coffee, you can enjoy the magic of manual espresso at home with Flair .